- The Coal Porters: The
Gram Parsons Tribute Concert (SID010)
- This may well be seen as a strange release. A set
of covers might not immediately find favour with
die-hard Coal Porters fans, especially with an
original album still awaiting release, whilst
Parsons' fans will doubtless meet it with calls
of "it sounds nothing like the
original" - well obviously not. The aim here
is surely not to reproduce Parsons' songs as they
were, but to pay homage to his songwriting skills
and show that even as we speed towards the
millennium these songs can still sound great live
when played by people who appreciated them first
time around.
-
- The gig and CD starts off with Luxury Liner which
was new to me but a brilliant song and in my mind
unquestionably one of the highlights of this set.
This is followed by Hickory Wind, a Parsons
classic with Rob Childs on pedal steel. If
anything, 100 Years From Now sounds better on CD
than it did on the night whist Drug Store Truck
Drivin' Man is great, with Pat's backing vocals
clearly present on the crisp CD.
-
- After a brief introduction we get the band's
version of (Sweet) Mental Revenge which took me
back about 14 years to listening to The Long
Ryders' Native Sons time after time. After this
the pace eases a little, for Sin City and Retur n
Of The Grievous Angel, both of which allow Sid to
get his breath back. His vocals aren't at their
best on these, though the passion is still there.
-
- Welcoming Mr Testosterone (Bob Stone) on to the
stage the band run through a great version of
Wheels and a tight run through of In My Hour Of
Darkness. Older Guys sounds superb, with Rob
Childs especially standing out on guitar. Pat
McGarvey finally gets to star as he sings Hot
Burrito #2 with his usual gusto and finesse,
before (with Sid shouting "go, go, go
") the band rip through the classic Six Days
On The Road at a couple of hundred miles an hour
to end the night on a high. (But not the CD, as
the guys at Prima have a hidden studio track
about minute after the gig tracks end, but you'll
have to buy it to find out what it is!!)
-
- To people like me, who had never even heard of
Gram Parsons (never mind his songs) before The
Long Ryders came around this is as timely a
reminder as there ever could be that Parsons'
music deserves to be heard for many years to
come. With the CD reproducing all but 2 of the
songs from the gig, this is also a shining
example of how good The Coal Porters' can be
live. Let's hope it enhances their reputation as
well as adding to the legacy of Gram Parsons.
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